Silver Howl, Arctic Roar
by Zekuran
Summary: After her unexpected death, Karin finds herself being steadily dragged deeper into the world of the Gotei 13 and that of its youngest captain, but a dark figure form the Seireitei's past returns, and to preserve what she loves, Karin will risk everything.
1. Chapter 1

**For the entirety of this fic, I will not, Nor will I ever own, Bleach. Give me a moment to come to terms with the horror of that realization. As I said, this is the start of the rewrite, and really, I only added about eight hundred words to the story, giving it a more full experience for the reader, as well as smoothing out the sentence flow.**

**Recommended Song For Chapter: My World of Sin by Sparzanza**

Karin Kurosaki, the younger sister of the by now well known, at least to other worldly beings, Ichigo Kurosaki, was wondering through the streets of Karakura Town aimlessly. She wasn't sure where she was going; just that she had to move towards this as of yet unknown goal. The normally level headed girl found this to be extraordinarily irritating, as she always knew what she wanted to do, and didn't like being unsure of her next actions. Turning the corner, she realized where she was when she saw Toshiro leaning against a guardrail, looking out over the city as the sun set, soul-phone in his hand as the always majestic event played out, the sky splashed with a collage of vivid and beautiful colors.

Upon seeing Toshiro, the tomboy realized that she had been looking for him, and sighed to herself as she went and leaned against the guardrail at his side, watching him as well as taking in the natural beauty that occurred every day in the skies above Karakura. Looking at Toshiro, she felt the strange urge to talk to him, and she had always been one to follow her heart. "Hey-" she started, only to be constrained by an unexpected and unaccustomed shyness. Not to be deterred, she started again. "Um, about yesterday, I just wanted to thank you again." Said the adolescent tomboy.

Hitsugaya looked at her, his expression curiously blank, yet at the same time piercing. "It was no problem." The youngest captain of the Gotei 13 reassured her, "besides, it was more in my own self-interest than in any need to help you. It's the duty of Shinigami to dispose of Hollow in the world of the living." he said, turning his attention back to the soul-phone in his hand.

"That wasn't what I was talking about. I know that killing those things is your job. I was talking about helping with the soccer match. You really didn't have to, so," Karin said, leaning in and kissing Hitsugaya on his cheek. Shocked, the Captain of the Tenth Squad looked at the furiously blushing girl, who was already backing away "thanks!" Then she turned and ran, leaving a stunned Toshiro to look at her retreating form. He lifted his hand and held his cheek, still warm from her kiss.

5 years later….

With Aizan's defeat and the end of the Winter War, everyone in Karakura town who had been involved in the war began to settle back into what had passed for normal before the chaos, before any of them had ever heard of Shinigami, the Seireitei, or the Gotei 13.. Little did they know that soon a great shock was going to rock them all to their very core.

Ichigo was sitting on the river shore with Chad, looking at his long-time friend. Chad, Ichigo thought, hadn't quite been the same since that dark day just a little over a year after the end of the winter conflict, when the realization that they had all nearly died had faded, and they had begun to truly move on with their lives, when fate had reminded them all that she was one hell of an ornery bitch, and had kicked their legs out from under them with a seemingly sadistic glee.

_Flashback….._

_"KARIN!" Yuzu, the younger of Ichigo's fraternal twin sisters, shouted from the kitchen. Slowly walking down the stairs, and keeping a wary eye out for his old man, Ichigo idly wondered how such a small girl could make so much noise as he spied both his little sisters in the kitchen, though Karin appeared to be very annoyed. _

_"What do you want Yuzu?" asked Karin, tapping her foot in irritation, as she had been planning on going out to play soccer, and maybe write a letter to Toshiro later, the two having kept in correspondence after the end of the Winter War, building on their unlikely friendship, using Rukia as their glorified package courier._

_"I need you to run to the grocery and get me a few things." Yuzu said, holding out a long list of items and some money, as well as using her puppy dog eyes to great effect, knowing that there was nobody in the family who could resist her when she did that. Her skills in it had only improved since Rukia had moved in with them._

"_Fine." Karin groaned, "Just stop looking at me like that." she gripped as she snatched the list and money from her sister and walking out the door, grumbling under her breath about stupid errands and sisters that were too damn adorable for their own good. Looking at the list and taking in juts how many items were on it she wondered how the hell she was going to get it all home. She was so immersed in these thoughts that she neglected to watch where she was going and ended up walking straight into something giant, and hard as a rock. Stumbling back, she looked up at the towering height of Chad Yasatora, a member of Ichigo's close-knit circle of friends an idea popped into her head.. _

_"Are you all right?" Chad asked in his soft voice, reaching out to steady her with a near gargantuan hand. _

_"Yeah, I'm fine." Karin reassured him, waving away his hand. "Listen, could you do me a favor?" she asked, hoping he would say yes. Seeing Chad nod his affirmative, she continued, "Could you help me get all these things home?" She asked, holding up the list of items to Chad. Chad, as was typical of his near-silent giant persona, again just nodded and began walking in the direction of the grocery, Karin almost having to jog to keep up with the seven foot tall man. _

_Getting to the store, the two quickly found all of the items on the list. Waiting in line with Chad next to her and two other men standing in line, she noticed one item they hadn't gotten. "Hey Chad, could you go grab some wasabi?" she asked. With a nod, the giant teenager headed to the back of the store, where he had seen the spicy condiment earlier. He had just grabbed the wasabi when he heard the muffled sound of somebody screaming, as well as the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Unsure what they were, but instantly on the alert, Chad moved cautiously in the direction of the checkout, where the sounds had originated from, only to drop everything in shock when he saw a horrible sight. There, in a steadily growing pool of blood, was Karin Kurosaki, both hands pressed to her throat as every second or so a crimson mist would spray from between her fingers. Running towards the downed girl, Chad glimpsed the unmoving body of the cashier, and noticed that the cash drawer had been pulled out of the register. Reaching Karin's side, he quickly took in her unnaturally pale skin, and then his eyes met hers, and he saw the abject fear and confusion in the thirteen year olds gaze, wondering why this had happened to her, as well as the bleak acknowledgement that she was going to die._

_This was something he hadn't expected, and with Orihime in America on an exchange program, there was no quick way to fix this. Picking up the girls rapidly weakening body, he ran as fast as he could towards the Kurosaki Clinic He was still half a block away when he felt Karin go limp in his arms, her hands falling away from her neck to reveal the jagged, tearing wound that had ended the young girls life . _

_Running inside, he looked around wildly, calling desperately for Isshin to come help him hoping for a miracle. Running out of an adjoining room, Isshin Kurosaki stopped dead upon seeing his daughters limp form in Chad's arms. Running over, he took his daughter and laid her on the nearest bed, but stopped when he saw her throat. He knew then that there was nothing he could do to save. Gathering his fiery little girl's body into his arms, he sank to his knees, letting out a howl of pure agony and pain. His screams brought Yuzu, Ichigo, and Rukia, who had been visiting, running in. Rukia and the rest of the Kurosaki family stopped dead on seeing Isshin and Karin, as well as Chad's blood covered clothing, and then Yuzu started screaming as well. Ichigo stood still, unable to comprehend what he saw. It was almost as if he were completely detached. Standing next to him, Rukia noted with a great deal of worry that Ichigo's face had gone completely blank, a sign of pending mental breakdown._

_Everything he had done had been for the sake of protecting those he cared about, and he had failed horribly. Backing out of the room, Ichigo went to his room and sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. Shortly afterward, Rukia came in as well and sat next to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she began to rock him back and forth, and soon the dam holding back the tide broke, and Ichigo's body began to shake with powerful sobs. Twisting, he pulled the startled Rukia into a hug, holding her to him as if afraid she would disappear. At first surprised, Rukia let a few of her own tears slip from her eyes as she cradled Ichigo's head to her, admittedly small, chest. "Shhh, Ichigo. I'm here for you, and I'm never going away as long as you need me." she whispered soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down his back as he began to sob even harder, tightening his hug as he did, as if she was the only thing keeping him from going completely adrift on a sea of despair and pain._

_The Kurosaki family cried late into the night, with more and more friends coming to help them start moving through the pain._

_End flashback…_

Ichigo lay back, staring into the sky. His father still hadn't recovered, and was becoming increasingly unstable, and not in the happy way he had been before, but in a more somber way. It was a terrible thing for a parent to have to outlive their own child, and it showed in Isshin. Most of what he did was stare at a poster of Karin that had been set up next to the poster of his mom. Yuzu had somehow managed to move on, but Ichigo knew she still cried herself to sleep at night. Ichigo himself had found that Rukia had been what helped him come to terms with Karin's death, helping him to move on as well. He was even thinking about taking old man Yamamoto up on his offer to let him have one of the still empty captain's seats. Looking up at the sky, and knowing she was somewhere in Soul Society, Ichigo whispered quietly to himself "We'll find you, Karin."


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn't really sure how, or why, and really, she completely lacked the capability to care. Karin Kurosaki, the girl whose passing into death had shaken many people to their core, sat on the plain wooden roof of a shack that overlooked the general squalor and mayhem of the 71st district of Rukongai. While not as bad as the higher numbered districts, there was a general lawlessness and mayhem within the district, and it wasn't uncommon to see murder taking place in broad daylight. People where so used to the violence that they just ignored that it was even happening. When she had first arrived, she had had no memories of her previous life. Rumor was that souls like hers were the total anti-thesis to those that could become hollow, as to some, their total amnesia signified their complete ability to move on after their death, regardless of its nature.

Karin gave an irritated snort. 'Hollow anti-thesis my ass', the raven haired girl thought bitterly. The pain of wondering just who you had been, why you knew all these random things about the world around you, but not the first thing of yourself, was horribly confusing and not just a little depressing. She had been fairly certain that she had been very athletic, as her body possessed a fitness that only those who exercised regularly did.

But last week had been when it had all changed. She had woken, sweating heavily, and almost crying from the pain of a monstrous deluge of memories sought out their former places. Her dream had been so strange. She was floating, completely weightless, above twin teal colored lakes that had been bordered on their northern en by jagged, snowy peaks. She vividly remembered that in front of her had been this wondrous light, pulsing gently. Every pulse had sent a new wave of cold though her, but rather than shivering, she had felt so totally warm.

She stood up, stretching her frame. In the five years since she had gotten here, her body had matured, much to her continued annoyance. Seriously, why the hell did she need breasts? Granted, hers certainly weren't the largest around, being around a mid-B cup, but they were simply in the way, and made running seriously uncomfortable unless they were tightly bound. Every day Karin thanked whatever gods there where that she had leaned the old fashioned ways of breast binding before her death, thinking it would be 'cooler' as well as save her some money in the long run. She had never had much use for vanity, and regular breast-bindings had just seemed practical to her. She had also experienced a bit of a growth spurt, as she now stood at a not unimpressive 5'5.

A shadow of a smile ghosted across her lips as she tucked her now waist-length hair behind her ear. She could just imagine how she would tower over the diminutive Rukia. Shaking her head, she jumped off the shack and began to walk with a purposeful stride toward the Seireitei. She knew she was far away, and that it would take a great deal of time to get there, but she had an image to comfort her. If she succeeded, she would get to see some of Ichigo's friends who had turned out to be Shinigami. Letting her thoughts drift over them, she paused on Toushiro. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to her crush on him if she had lived, but shook her head and walked on. Her trek was going to need her full attention, at least until she could manage to get to the 28th District. Rumor had it that the 28th was where things started to actually get really peaceful.

One week prior…

Toushiro Hitsugaya, the Captain of Squad Ten of the Gotei Thirteen was in his quarters, looking at nothing in particular. Hell, to be fair, he wasn't even really thinking. He had this nagging urge that today was one to be sad, but he had only had a few hours of sleep, and was having a great deal of trouble remembering. Getting out of his bed, which was little more than a thick matt thrown onto a slightly elevated wooden platform; he began to go about his morning ablutions in a mechanical, practiced manner. He would have to begin work soon, and with any luck, Matsumoto would not be nursing a hangover when he got there. 'Really,' he thought exasperatedly, 'just how much can one person drink, and why does she have to get well and truly blitzed every night?' Exiting his quarters, he walked to his office, only to see Matsumoto diligently working, much to his surprise. Matsumoto looked up in surprise, obviously shocked at her presence. "Captain! I didn't expect to see you here today!" she exclaimed, quite obviously flustered.

Toushiro quirked and eyebrow, his most common expression, next to a slight frown. "Why wouldn't you be expecting to see me?" he asked, crossing his arms over his white haori, while in his head he was trying to get over the fact that Matsumoto was actually working.

Rangiku's face softened somewhat. "Captain, don't you realize what day it is?" she asked, worried once more for her captain. While he was undoubtedly stronger and smarter than her, that didn't mean he couldn't use some help every now and then.

It struck Hitsugaya that he didn't know the date, and he immediately knew why. He had been trying to forget, just like he had every year. "Karin…" he whispered to himself. That girl had been one of his only close friends, and when she died, it had greatly hurt him. Somebody like him, who normally held themselves aloof, found the few friends they had infinitely precious. He had gone to pay his respects at her funeral, and had visited her grave every year since then. "I had forgotten." he said, "If you'll excuse me, Matsumoto." he said as he left the room, leaving his worried Lieutenant to stare after him.

Having made an arrangement with Captain Kuchiki immediately after Karin's death years earlier, one that allowed him free use of the powerful nobles private Senkaimone Gate, he left Soul Society quickly, and exited in a graveyard, right where he had intended to be. He looked at the tombstone in front of him, its gray tones and hard planes like and unlike her at the same time. As he stood there, his thoughts wandering over the many letters the two had exchanged, the few enough times that his duties had allowed the two of them to speak face to face, and the event that had truly kick started their friendship. He had never understood why she had kissed him, nor, he believed, had he really tried. He hadn't understood his own emotions at the time. He still couldn't. Had what the two of them had been just friendship? Or would it have become something else if only given the proper time for it to grow? He stayed, pondering over these thoughts, until he heard the Kurosaki family coming, and then made his exit after leaving his customary memento on the tombstone; something that he felt did justice to her memory: an ice flower that defied the elements, for it would not melt for a year.

_Moments later_

Ichigo and Rukia reached the tombstone first, and looked mournfully around. Seeing the rose, they looked at one another. "Toushiro's been here" said Ichigo, looking at the beautiful and defiant flower.

Rukia shrugged, having sensed his riatsu the moment she entered the graveyard. "It does make sense. Captain Hitsugaya values his friends highly, and Karin was nearly as close to him as Momo, without the annoying sisterly acts that Lieutenant Hinamori is want to do. Really Ichigo, you should be glad that Karin had such a dedicated friend." Rukia spoke, lightly admonishing her long-time friend, receiving a grunt from Ichigo, who had knelt on the ground to run his fingers over Karin's name. Standing up, he looked at Rukia, thoughts wandering over the last five years. Here he was, twenty years old, having never had a girlfriend, and he knew why.

As Rukia had counseled him through the pain of losing Karin, he had come to the slow realization that he had somehow managed to fall in love with her, without ever meaning to. The diminutive Shinigami had mange to so thoroughly steal his heart that he couldn't even bring himself to look at another woman. He felt like such a coward, as he had been completely unable to tell her. To be truthful, it was because he was afraid, afraid that she would totally reject him, and then leave. He didn't want to be the cause of something like that, and truly wasn't sure he would survive such an event. Just the thought of such an event made his heart ache. Still, he could hear Karin's voice in his head, telling him that life was too short to be wasting time like he was.

'I guess she would be the one to know' he thought to himself. Looking at Yuzu and his old man, holding onto each other for emotional support as always, the two of them wearing their emotions on their sleeves, in sharp contrast to the reserved Ichigo and Rukia. Fishing in the backpack the two of them had, he pulled out Kon, pulling the pill out of the stuffed animal's mouth before it could protest. That was another thing that had changed. About three and a half years ago, he had started to use Kon more often, if only to let the little gikongan run around in a real body for a while. Ever since, Kon had started acting shiftier than normal around him, but he really didn't care. Hearing an electrical arcing sound, signifying that Rukia two had exited her gigai, he turned to look at her, meeting her questioning gaze. Mustering his courage, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of Kon's sight. The mod soul waited until they were out of sight before pulling out Ichigo's phone and dialing a certain number. Holding it to his ear, he smiled to himself at the greeting on the other end. "Yeah, it's Kon. How are you doing today lover?" he asked, a loving sheen coming into his eyes.

Ichigo didn't let up on his grip until he had reached a nearby clearing, turning around; he shushed the sputtering Rukia with his hand. Looking into her violet eyes, amazing and beautiful as always, he hoped he wasn't about to ruin a relationship with the one person he cared about above all others. "Rukia, there's something really personal that I want to get off my chest, and I don't want the other two to hear. I'd like you to hear me out, okay?" On hearing those words out of the normally emotionally brick-walled Ichigo, Rukia's eyes softening, she nodded, and he lowered his hand. Stepping back a little bit, Ichigo realized he didn't know what to say. He frowned as he tried to think of what to say. How was he supposed to know that confessing your love for someone was this hard? "Look… Rukia, I've been trying to get the courage to tell you this for while, and I wanted to tell you oh, um, oh damnit" he cursed as he stammered.

"Ichigo, if you're going to say something, then just say it." said Rukia, beginning to lose patience with him. He had dragged her out here, and he was stuttering like a buffoon, wasting her time in the process.

"Rukia, I think I'm in love with you!" he blurted, and then blushed furiously. Hearing those words, Rukia's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ichigo" Rukia said as she moved closer to him, her violet eyes still wide open. As soon as she was close enough to touch him, her right fist swung out suddenly, hitting him in his stomach and bending him in half, Ichigo giving a startled grunt of pain as he did so. With an exclamation of "Baka," she clubbed him on the head with her fist, knocking him to the ground, his arms wrapped around his now aching head. "You couldn't pick a better time to tell me? You had to tell me that here, and on this day?" she shouted before bursting into tears. Ichigo forced himself to stand up despite the ache in his belly. Reaching out, he pulled the smaller woman's body close to his. Struggling momentarily, Rukia soon let him wrap her in a hug as she buried her face against his shikakusho, tears quickly soaking into the black fabric.

"I know this was a bad time to tell you, but it was like I could hear Karin saying that I shouldn't wait a moment longer. I just had to try. So, um, do you love me back?" Ichigo asked as he held her to him, feeling her giggle slightly at his poorly timed question.

"Ichigo, I don't think I could love anyone else." said Rukia. The new couple hugged each other tightly, not daring to let go in case this was all a dream, afraid that if they let go they would wake up. When they left an hour later with Yuzu and Isshin, they were holding hands, quietly sharing their affection and love for one another. Meanwhile, on Karin's tombstone, Toushiro's icy rose flashed a blinding blue.

_Meanwhile_

Rolling over on her bed, Tatsuki Arisawa, the second strongest woman in Japan, looked at her phone before giving a deep sigh. While she had been more than a little freaked out by Kon's revelation of just what he was, she had given the mod soul what he needed, which was just someone to talk to, someone more receptive then Ichigo was. Somewhere along the way, She had started to like the somewhat exuberant guy, though it had creeped her out when she saw him smile using Ichigo's face. The two had grown together with a quit romance. She had shared a lot of firsts with him. Her first kiss, her first real date, her first time having sex, everything, something she was sure she would never regret. Still, despite the warmth their relationship gave her, it also saddened her, as they would never be able to be fully together without Ichigo's help, and either wanted to tell him exactly what Kon had been doing with his body. Giving a half sorrowful, half content sigh, Tatsuki closed her eyes for a nap.

_Seireitei, the day after the anniversary of Karin's death._

Toshiro walked through the halls of squad one towards the Captains Hall. Not knowing why he had been called to see the Captain-Commander, he was somewhat apprehensive as he entered that revered and ancient man's presence. "Captain Hitsugaya" said the old man in greeting. "I have decided that for the next year or so, you, alongside Captain Unohana, will be teaching those students at the academy who are a cut above the rest, much like you were. By doing so, I am hoping to foster a new generation of Shinigami who will be able to stand up against the scattered remnants of Aizan's arrancar army. Know that this is an order, not a request. You are hereby dismissed, and are to report to the academy tomorrow morning." said the old man. Hitsugaya nodded and left, keeping his thoughts on the matter private. You simply did not question the Captain-Commander. Well, not unless you were named Ichigo Kurosaki. He went to his quarters within his division, falling into bed fully dressed, where he dreamt of a young girl playing soccer, a young girl whose fierce nature had held him totally in awe of her. Her death had left him greatly pained. A single tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek before freezing as he remembered that one, truly unique person.

_A month and a half after departure from the 71__st__ district_

'Finally', thought Karin as she finished filling out her registration papers. While walking toward the Seireitei, she had decided to enroll in the Spiritual Arts Academy, as that would make it easier for her to see Ichigo and the others later on. She had just barely made it in time for the new semester, which was starting the day after tomorrow. She looked up at the imposing building and sighed. What had she just gotten herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

The day dawned bright and clear over the dormitories of the Spiritual Arts Academy, shedding light on the students hurriedly getting ready for the day, which would begin at six A.M. on the dot. They would have classes starting at that early morning time right up until they hit their third year was utterly depressing for many of the souls aspiring to be Shinigami. Within her room, the dilemma of getting up early was of little consequence to one Karin Kurosaki, as she was suffering from a bout of nerves, something she was wholly unaccustomed to, though she was also familiar with the feeling. After all, you couldn't be fearless about everything, especially when your placed inside an institutionalized organization, and thrust into a new environment that you must adapt to or die in.

'I can do this' Karin thought to herself as she donned the red and white uniform of the female students at the Spiritual Arts Academy. Her nerves were making her feel sick and excited at the same time. It was like those five minutes before a big soccer game, only worse, for some odd reason. Exiting her new room in the academy barracks, she joined the flow of new students headed toward the assembly hall. New students were easy to spot, mainly because they all had the same half-scared, half-determined look she herself probably had. Older students had this expression of boredom, like this was the same shit, different day. Their expressions spoke volumes about the monotony of academy life.

Thinking about becoming a Shinigami had her thoughts wandering to her brother, who was arguably one of the more powerful Shinigami currently living, with only a few Captains being stronger in terms of pure strength. Instead, they tended toward more skilled. However, her was still a famed hero of the Seireitei. The legacy she had to live up to was a monstrous one, and she wasn't entirely sure she could do it.

Entering a large auditorium, the new students set themselves into neat ranks in front of a large podium, with the help of some fairly angry looking teachers yelling helpfully in their ears. Standing in her spot in the ranks of students, she figured that there were maybe a little over half a hundred students, total. Clearly, a graduating class from the academy wouldn't be large by any means. Looking at the podium, she saw an impossibly old and battle-scarred man standing with both hands on a club-like cane, looking exactly like what she envisioned a wise old elder to look like. Signaling that he desired silence, the old man began to speak. "I am Genryuusai Shikeguni Yamamoto, Soutaicho of the Thirteen Guard Squads of the Heavenly Court. You all wish to become Shinigami, the guardians of the souls of the World of the Living. My hopes are that you will make yourselves worthy to bear the title of Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen. I will now administer the oath, simple, and unbreakable. Do you swear to protect the Seireitei, and protect the souls of the World of the Living, even if you must sacrifice your life to do so, and swear to follow the orders of your seated officers should you become squad members of the Gotei Thirteen?" asked the ancient Head-Captain, his gravelly voice adding a sense of tremendous gravity to his words.

"I do so swear!" echoed the voices of the new trainees, barely a third of which would graduate, and of that third, most would never rise above twentieth seat in their respective squads. Karin was surprised to find herself filled with the need to do as she had sworn. Something about that old man's words had awoken a great need, a fierce hunger inside of her. She knew that she would do as she had sworn, and even give up her life, such as it was, to fulfill her oath. Being dismissed with a nod from the Head-Captain, the students filed to their first classes, Karin entering her first class with fifteen of her classmates, each of them taking a position behind simple, wooden, desks. Soon after an older man walked in, dressed in the black haori and hakama of the full-fledged Shinigami. The man's dark eyes swept over the room, shoulders back, his salt and pepper hair giving him an air of sophistication and experience that Karin was entirely sure wasn't a sham.

"I am Lareck Retsu, your teacher. You will call me Retsu-Sensei, and with any luck, one day you will all call me by my name. I'm going to take roll, and don't be shy to affirm your presence in this room." The now identified man said, holding up a piece of paper and beginning to call off names. Karin waited patiently until her name was called. "Kurosaki, Karin?"

"Here, Sensei" Karin called before quietly taking her seat. Whispers immediately broke out amongst all the other students.

"Kurosaki? As in THE Kurosaki?"

"No, she's too small"

"I don't know, she seems pretty spunky."

"There will be silence!" Lareck roared, the silence of the grave immediately descending on the room. Looking at Karin, he scrutinized her for a moment, seemingly trying to peer into her very soul. "Are you actually related to Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked her after several moments of observation.

"He's my older brother." she said, using her iron will to prevent herself from squirming nervously under the stares of the other trainees. She was more than a little disturbed to see that the girls had little hearts where their eyes were at just the thought of her elder sibling. 'Creepy…' she thought, sweating mentally.

Lareck grunted, glaring at the young girl. "Don't expect any favors from me just because you're highly connected. In fact, just because of that, I'm going to work you three times harder than the rest of these wannabe's, and my standards are nothing less than perfection."

"As you wish, Sensei." Karin acknowledged bitterly, resolving to kick Ichigo as hard as she could in the face the next time she saw him. Lareck gave another bad-tempered grunt before he resumed calling roll. Soon after he finished, glaring out at the students as he laid the paper back on his desk.

"Now, as I said, I am Lareck Retsu, and I am in charge of teaching you the combat forms of Hoho, Zanjutsu, and Hakuda. Learning these things is necessary for you to become decent Shinigami, and will very likely be tied up in whether or not you survive your future battles. It usually takes six years at this academy to graduate, though there are those rare prodigies that graduate in less, and for every day of those six years, you are going to report here to me for training. You will be with me for two hours every day, as well as being in a Kido class for another two hours. There is also a meditation class, which teaches you to control your riatsu, as well as the basics for communing with your Zanpakutou, besides those, there is further curriculum designed to teach you how to fulfill your duties, whether you apply to the Kido Corps, Special Ops, or the Court Guard Squads. In this lesson, as well as the Kido lesson, there are too be advanced classes, but only for those who prove themselves to be exemplary. For the Kido lessons, the teacher will be Unohana Retsu, Captain of Squad Four. For this lesson, the teacher will be Toushiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the Tenth Squad." Upon hearing Toushiro's name, a thrill went through Karin. "In order to be considered an exemplary student, you must have hopes of being able to graduate in three years or less. Now, onto your first lesson." Lareck said, Karin immediately noting that he seemed to have a straight to the point kind of attitude as he began one of the most grueling training regimens she had ever been through. She was proud of herself when she could walk out of the room at the end of it. Lareck hadn't been lying; he had been far harder on her than the others. Every muscle in Karin's body felt swollen and throbbing, every painful pulse only heightening her decision to maim her own brother.

She had two more minor lessons before they broke for lunch, one of them dealing about the ranking system and structure of the Seireitei, which was far more complex than she had thought, and the other on the World of the Living, particularly its many languages, which she was told that she would need to know at least three on a passable level before graduating. She was already fluent in Japanese and English, now she just needed one more, and she was thinking about Spanish, as there were numerous tutors of the language.

After lunch, Karin hurried through the crowded halls to her Kido class, where she again stood by another desk for the fourth time that day. Their teacher was waiting for them for once, leaning against her own desk. When all of the students had all filed in, their teacher called roll before she began to speak, introducing herself and her art. "I am Kira Chou, your teacher in the Kido arts." she began, primly folding her hands on her lap, something that just rubbed Karin the wrong way. She was sure that Kira was a good woman, but Karin couldn't stand what she termed 'girly-girls' with the sole exception of her sister. Shaking her head, Karin focused on the teacher. This was something she would definitely need to know.

"Kido is divided into two parts, these being Bakkudo, or restraining spells, and Hado, or destructive spells. In order to be considered as one of the more powerful Shinigami, you have to have the intelligence necessary to master Kido." she said with the air of one who was arrogant in her capabilities, as well as those of her chosen specialty. She was about to continue when she noticed that Karin had raised her hand. "Yes, Kurosaki?" Kira asked testily.

"What about Lieutenant Renji Abarrai of Squad Six? He's achieved Bankai, and he says he's horrible with Kido. And what about Squad Eleven Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, or even Ichigo Kurosaki, a hero of the Seireitei, and one of the most powerful Shinigami there is? As far as I know, he doesn't know the first thing about Kido. What you're saying sounds like you think they aren't powerful Shinigami, despite the fact that they've battled opponents that far outclass any of us here and survived."

Kira's face tightened in momentary disapproval. Who was this girl to question her? "As far as I'm concerned, the only use that Squad Eleven has is to be used as glorified cannon-fodder, including their captain. As for Lieutenant Abarrai, he can still barely use it, so he isn't a total waste of space." Kira said, the way she said total making it seem like she still didn't see him as being worthy any kind of real recognition. "As for Ichigo Kurosaki, although I will admit that he is a hero, and a powerful Shinigami, I will never see him as an equal. He has had Rukia Kuchiki, one of the finest Kido practitioners that I've ever trained at his side on nearly a daily basis, and he has made no effort to learn the art, instead choosing to remain ignorant of its capabilities."

Hearing the argument, Karin couldn't help but make a mental comparison of the three Shinigami in question, and came to a startling conclusion. While Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Abarrai, and her brother were all very powerful Shinigami, they all had one thing in common: all three of them were dumb as rocks. Thinking carefully, she gave a mental nod of the head, figuring that this probably limited them in how and what they could learn.

Meanwhile, Kira looked at the class before nodding firmly. Turning to the board, she picked up a piece of chalk and began a lesson every bit as mentally exhausting as Lareck's had been physically, showing that while she was highly opinionated, she was also a highly competent teacher who knew a great deal about the intricacies of Kido, as well as how to keep a classes minds from wandering too far.

Physically and mentally exhausted, eyes all but crossing and her body covered in slowly developing bruises and other minor aches, Karin stumbled into what was thankfully her final class of the day. Sitting on the floor with his legs under him at the front of the room was a small, dark-skinned man. Even without moving, he seemed to radiate an aura of total refinement and power. There were no chairs in the room, just several mats spread around, all of a kind that Karin recognized as often used in martial arts dojos. The man, without even cracking open one of his eyes, motioned her and her classmates, all of whom were faring worse then she, to seat themselves on the mats. As they were doing so, their body's movement hampered by their many aches and pains, the man stood up. To Karin and the others, it seemed more as if he flowed, as the movement was so smooth as to be impossible to define as anything but a single motion. "Well, I'm glad you've all survived the day. Six hours of classes must have you totally exhausted, huh?" asked this strange Shinigami. Karin and her classmates wearily nodded.

Their newest teacher gave a light chuckle before continuing. "What you will be learning in this class is easy to define, but hard to accomplish. You will be learning the most refined of all the arts of the Shinigami, that of meditation. This is the safest possible way for you to gain communion with you Zanpakutou spirit, and is also almost always the most effective, especially in forging that ever important bond between Shinigami and Zanpakutou. Your Zanpakutou are the clearest expression of your souls, and so you must have achieved total inner calm, and empty your mind of all thoughts. My name is Yoru Tsuki, and I will be your sensei," he said as he flowed back into a sitting position. For Karin, who had loved her karate lessons, meditation was no problem. As she slipped deeper and deeper into it, she became more and more aware of her surroundings. Finally, she could hear something no one else seemed to be able to: a faint, eerie, howling sound.

With eight hours of classes a day, there wasn't much time for anything else. Indeed, for the first week of the academy, Karin would stumble to her dorm before blissfully passing out, the first day not even reaching her bed. As she got used to the hard training and the long days, Karin made the time for other things. Exploring the Academy, she quickly found the library, and began to show just why she had never gotten less than hundreds on her tests in the World of the Living. Along with her classes, she also practiced Kido and her fighting skills for an hour every day. Such hard training and study paid off, as despite usually stumbling to her bed after midnight, only to get up after only a few hours of sleep to exercise before classes, paid off. The instructors assured her that in every class she was leagues ahead of everybody else, and as such, she was sometimes called on to help teach the classes.

Her teachers were astonished by Karin's work ethic, as well as the fact that almost anything that had to do with the Shinigami arts she learned as naturally as breathing.

**Three Months Later**

"I simply can't believe her progress." said Kira as she sipped her tea while Lareck, Yoru, Taze, and Jiza nursed their sake, all them discussing the subject of their most promising student, Karin Kurosaki. "It's like she's a fish in water, only on steroids, with really big teeth."

"She does seem to be thriving." Lareck commented, while mentally thinking that Karin was indeed like a fish, and would probably absorb knowledge until her brain exploded; much like the dumber fish would eat until their stomachs burst. "I've yet to set her a task that she doesn't excel in.

Jiza nodded, the dark haired woman taking a sip of her sake. "She certainly is proving herself in my class. She easily passed the proficiency tests for Japanese and English, she's picking up Spanish at a ferocious pace."

"The girl can recite command structure back and forth, and has an almost total knowledge of the etiquette expected of a Shinigami." Taze said. 'Whether or no she uses it is another thing.' he thought, before shaking his head ruefully. "Truthfully, I have nothing left to teach her in that class. She's become something of an assistant, though I usually just send her to the library for the hour, so she can get a little more study time in."

Lareck nodded. "In Hakuda, she could probably hold her own with some of the weaker ranks of the seated officers," he said, watching their eyebrows climb in astonishment. "As for Hoho, she's about average," here he paused, "for a member of the Onmitsukido." Now their eyebrows were making a determined effort to escape their heads. The Onmitsukido were known for being the fastest force in the armed forces of the Seireitei, after all. Lareck shook his head at their reactions before continuing. "As for Zanjutsu, she's an artist with the blade, and could probably go toe-to-toe with almost any seated officer up to sixth without being outclassed."

Kira grinned. "While her ability to remember the longer incantations may be wanting, she already knows the more useful Kido, and I expect that she will only steadily add more and more to her repertoire." Staring at Lareck, she gave a small grin. "My old friend, I think it's time we gave her to better teachers than us."

Lareck nodded ruefully. "I suppose your right. Karin is a rare genius, and I can't help but think that she'll need better teaching than we can provide to truly blossom. Let's send her a note and a new class schedule informing her of her new placement, the other three nodding silently.

Karin was preparing for bed when there was a knock at her door. Sliding it open, she was surprised to see a sixth year student, all of who often served as aides to the senseis. After handing her a piece of paper, he wordlessly walked away. Looking at the paper, Karin couldn't stop an elated smile from forming. After three months of hard work, she had made it to the advanced classes. She couldn't wait to see Toushiro again. It was certain to be amusing.


End file.
